Good articles on Bahrain:

Friday, January 18, 2008

Bahraini blogger and activist arrested

It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform the online community of the arrest of another Bahraini blogger in the recent escalation of events. On the 21st of December 2007, the author of the blog Bahrain Eyes was picked up in the wave of arrests following the death of Ali Jassim on 17th December. I am told that he has been questioned on his online writings there and elsewhere on the internet. I came to identify the blogger from the unique style of poetry and my subsequent inquiries confirmed my suspicion.

This arrest follows a string of harrassment of bloggers over the last few years, with some even being banished from the country. But due to the sensitivity of these matters, their identities must remain anonymous for their own safety and their families.

Recent reports from inside the jail tell of atrocious conditions, torture and the denial of visits, with confessions obtained under duress. I urge the blogging community to rally and call for the release of all of the prisoners.

A disturbing testimony of a family member of one of the prisoners who was forced to kiss the feet of a police officer:

@ ebtihal:Not according to the ministry of interior affairs, all charges made against him were purely of a criminal background and have no relation to his activities in the human rights field and certinley not his blogging either.

It's best we wait for the evidence, they were declared to be "concrete".

Hi guys, thanks for showing concern. As you may appreciate I don't think i'm in a position to reveal the blogger's identity. I know the guy personally and i know his poetry and stories are of an intimate and highly personal nature. I don't want to make an association between the person and their anonymous writing. Especially as I cannot seek express permission to do so.

All we can do is campaign for ALL the prisoners to be released. And that all charges be dropped immediately.

I know that he has lost his job and is deeply traumatised according to his family.

Yes according to ministry of interior affairs he is a crimina, but not according to truth.

The main reason behind arresting almost the full team of unemployment committee members, plus some other activists, is to stop their peaceful activities. There were so many chances for them to damage, to burn, and to steal, and they would take it if they were criminals, but their weapons were their minds and in many situations they were able to disclose the corrupted systems.

We will see how this play will end, and we shall pray for those detainees to return safe to their families.